Nike has halted Max Verstappen’s proposed clothing line over intellectual property concerns, as the Dutchman looks to build his brand on the back of his world titles.
Having sought to call it ‘Max 1,’ the clothing giant challenged the Dutchman at the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property over its similarity to Nike’s ‘Air Max’ brand.
According to De Limburger, officials agreed that “there is a certain visual and phonetic similarly between the signs,” siding with Nike.
“Both signs contain the word MAX, albeit in a different place. In the trademarks invoked, the elements AIR and MAX have equal weight in the overall impression,” the agency said.
READ: FIA quietly removes controversial rule
“In contested sign, the emphasis is on the word MAX. The number 1 will be regarded as a specification to MAX. To that extent, the signs agree. The goods in question are partly identical and partly similar. Visually and aurally, there is a certain degree of similarity between the signs,” the report continued.
Verstappen has always been clear about his desire to do more outside of Formula One, so the block on his first business venture will be a blow to the Red Bull driver.
READ: Max Verstappen’s dad fires insult at Sergio Perez after Saudi Arabia victory
Speaking to Sky Sports last year, 25-year-old Verstappen even hinted that he could retire from the sport by the time he turns 31, stating that “I want to do other stuff.”
“F1 is amazing and I’ve achieved a lot, and I’m very happy and proud about it… but it’s a lot of travelling and it’s a lot of races,” he continued.
“And at one point, what is more important? Is family more important, or is F1 more important? That’s when you need to make your mind up.”
Not wanting to “make drastic decisions now,” Verstappen said his ultimate decision will probably depend on “how competitive we are in 2028.”